Prison For Love, Drowning In Deceit

Alexis Brandt POV:

The ceremony was in full swing, the priest's voice a drone against the gentle lapping of waves. Austin stood at the altar, a pristine figure in his tuxedo, Eva a vision in white beside him. She looked unsettlingly like me, a grotesque parody of what we once were. My breath hitched. This was my breaking point. I couldn't let it happen in silence.

"Austin!" My voice, raw and hoarse, tore through the solemn air.

His head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock. His gaze found mine, and for a fleeting second, I saw panic flicker in their depths. The guests stirred, murmuring like a disturbed hive.

"Who is she, Austin?" I demanded, my voice shaking with a fury I hadn't known I still possessed.

He took a step towards me, his hand outstretched. "Alexis, I can explain-"

"No!" I cut him off, my voice sharp. "Don't you dare."

Eva, ever the actress, stepped forward. Her hand went to her stomach, a picture of fragile innocence. "Oh, Alexis, darling. Please don't blame Austin. It's all my fault. I... I got pregnant. I forced him to marry me." Her voice was soft, laced with a practiced vulnerability.

A bitter laugh escaped me. "Pregnant?" I scoffed, my eyes raking over her. "You think I believe that?"

She smiled then, a saccharine sweet gesture that twisted my stomach. "You know what? You're right. I'll just leave. You can have him. You can have the wedding!" She began to unbutton her gown, a theatrical gesture designed to draw attention, to cement her victim status.

Austin stopped her, his hand grasping her arm. His eyes flickered to me, a complex mix of guilt and something I couldn't quite decipher. "Alexis," he said, his voice low, "the position of Mrs. Alexander is still yours. It always has been."

I laughed, a choked, tearful sound that echoed the hollowness in my chest. He was offering me scraps, a consolation prize after five years of hell. "No," I whispered, the word a steel-hard promise. "I don't need it. Not anymore."

I turned to leave. I had seen enough. Heard enough. Done enough. But Eva wasn't finished. Her hand shot out, her nails digging into my arm, a sharp sting of pain. "Alexis, please!" she cried, her voice escalating, drawing more eyes. "Don't go! Don't ruin everything!"

Then, in a move so swift and practiced it chilled me to the bone, she feigned a stumble. Her body lurched, dragging me with her. We tumbled into the icy ocean, the shock of the cold water stealing my breath. I thrashed, choking, the panic quickly setting in.

Through the murky water, I saw Austin. He was diving in. My heart leaped. He was coming for me. I reached out, a desperate, instinctual movement. But he swam past me, his eyes fixed on Eva, cradling her to his chest. He whispered soothing words, stroking her hair. He didn't even glance my way.

My lungs burned. The cold seeped into my bones. His promises, his vows, our future. All of it was a lie. He was a liar. And I was drowning. I closed my eyes, the fight draining from me. This was it. The end.

I felt nauseous, sickened by Austin's hypocrisy.